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Attendance Policy

C.B.S. Dundalk Attendance Policy

Introduction

The C.B.S. Primary School, Dundalk attendance policy aims to promote and encourage regular among our children and to convey the importance of good attendance at school.

Rationale

The main factors contributing to the formulation of a revised policy can be summarised as follows:

To promote and encourage regular attendance as an essential factor in our pupils’ learning

Legislative requirements such as the Education Welfare Act 2000 and the Education Act, 1998

The role of the NEWB

Levels of disadvantage

Changing attitudes to education.

Aims and Objectives

The revised policy is geared towards:

Ensuring that pupils are registered accurately and efficiently

Ensuring that pupil attendance is recorded daily

Encouraging full attendance where possible

Improving school attendance

Promoting a positive learning environment

Enabling learning opportunities to be availed of

Raising awareness of the importance of school attendance

Fostering an appreciation of learning

Identify pupils at risk of leaving school early

Ensuring compliance with the requirements of the relevant legislation

Developing, subject to available resources, links between the school and the families of children who may be at risk of developing attendance problems

Identifying children at risk and removing, insofar as is practicable, obstacles to school attendance.

Compliance with School Ethos

This policy complements the school ethos of nurturing potential in a caring environment where the welfare of children is paramount.

Roles and Responsibilities

All staff have an input into the implementation of the policy. Class teachers record individual patterns of attendance and the returns are made to NEWB. Mr. Hanratty has responsibility for maintaining the Leabhair Tinreamh.

It is the responsibility of the Principal and staff to implement this policy under the guidance of the school’s Board of Management.

Punctuality

School begins at 9.05 a.m.

All pupils and teachers are expected to be on time. The school will contact parents/guardians in the event of pupils being consistently late.

Recording and Reporting Attendance

The school attendance of individual pupils is recorded in the Leabhar Rolla (Roll Book) and Data Biz on class P.C.by 10.00 a.m. on a daily basis. Class attendance data is recorded in the Leabhar Tinrimh (Attendance Book). The annual attendance of each individual pupil is recorded in the Clár Leabhar (Register), together with information provided in enrolment forms (Pupil’s Name, Date of Birth, Address, Religion, Parents’ Names and Parents’ Occupations).

If a pupil does not attend on a day when the school is open for instruction, his/her non-attendance will be recorded by the class teacher. The roll call is taken at 10.00 am each morning. Any pupil not present will be marked absent for the day. The roll book may not be altered once it has been filled in. A note from parents/guardians is required to explain each absence. Such notes will be retained by the class teacher. Parents/guardians must also provide a note if a child departs early during the school day.

Parents/guardians are made aware of the requirements when children begin school and in news lettrs of the NEWB particularly the by-law relating to absences of more than 20 days per school year. They are notified in writing on the end of year report of the total number of absences during the school year. Pupils whose non-attendance is a concern are invited to meet with the Principal and are informed of the school’s concerns.

The school must inform the Education Welfare Officer in writing, where a child has missed 20 or more days in a school year, where attendance is irregular, where a pupil is removed from the school register and where a child is suspended or expelled for 6 days or more.

Promoting Attendance

The school promotes good attendance by:

creating a safe and welcoming environment

ensuring children are happy

displaying kindness, compassion and understanding

being vigilant so that risks to good attendance such as disadvantage, bullying etc. are identified early

rewarding good attendance with certificates and end of year awards.

National Education Welfare Board

The Education Welfare Officer is informed if:

A child is expelled

A child is suspended

A child has missed more than 20 days.

The NEWB is furnished with the total attendances in the school year through the Annual Report Form which is completed on-line.

Whole School Strategies to Promote Attendance

C.B.S .Dundalk endeavours to create a safe, welcoming environment for our pupils and their parents/guardians. Parents/guardians are consulted in drafting and reviewing policies with the aim of promoting a high-level of co-operation among the school community. The teaching staff collaborates in the planning and implementation of the primary school curriculum, so as to provide a stimulating learning environment for all pupils.

Traditionally, school attendance is strong in our school. However, the staff remains vigilant so that ‘risk’ students are identified early. Risk students can be categorised as those who miss more than 5 days in a 20-day period without an accompanying note of explanation from parents/guardians. Appropriate contact takes place between the school and parents/guardians either via a letter or a note in the homework diary when this occurs. A meeting between parents and the Principal may be set up if deemed necessary. Absences of more than 20 days are automatically referred to the Education Welfare Officer.

The calendar for the coming school year is published annually in June and a reminder is published in September. It is hoped that this approach will enable parents/guardians to plan family events around school closures, thus minimising the chances of non-attendance related to family holidays during the school term.

Pupils are expected to wear the correct school uniform.

Parents/guardians are informed if a child has no lunch, and if one cannot be provided for him/her, the school will provide a sandwich and a drink.

End of year trophies are awarded to pupils who have full attendance during the school year. Certificates are given to pupils who have outstanding attendance during a term.

Strategies in the Event of Non-Attendance

In accordance with the Education Act children with 20 days absence or more are reported to the Educational Welfare Officer.

In such cases the Education Welfare Officer (following all reasonable efforts by the Education Board to consult with the child’s parents and the Principal of the school) may serve a ‘School Attendance Notice’ on any parent who he/she concludes is failing or neglecting to cause the child to attend the school. A successful case taken against the parent may result in a fine and/or imprisonment.

Reasons for absence are recorded and reported to the EWB five times during the school year through an online system. An annual report is submitted at the end of the school year – detailing the overall level of attendance at the school during that school year.

Transfer to Another School

Under Section 20 of the Education (Welfare) Act (2000), the Principal of a child’s current school must notify the Principal of the child’s previous school that the child is now registered in their school.

When a Principal receives notification that a child has been registered elsewhere he/she must notify the Principal of the pupil’s new school of any problems in relation to attendance at the pupil’s former school and of such matters relating to the child’s educational progress as he or she considers appropriate. This applies to pupils who transfer between primary schools and to pupils who transfer from primary to second-level education.

Communication

The school has developed a good relationship with the local Education Welfare Board (EWB) personnel and there is ongoing communication in relation to children who are at risk.

The school maintains communication with local pre-schools and second-level schools in order to make the transition for pupils as easy as possible.

Communication with other Schools

When a child transfers from this school to another school, the schools records on attendance, academic progress etc will be forwarded on receipt of written notification of the transfer

When a child transfers to C.B.S. confirmation of transfer will be communicated to the child’s previous school, and appropriate records sought

Pupils transferring to a post primary school will have their records forwarded on receipt of confirmation of enrolment.

Communication with Parents

The school informs all parents of the implications of non-attendance as per the Education Welfare Act 2000. This information is disseminated by regular school circulars. Parents of new children are informed on enrolment.

Parents/guardians can promote good school attendance by:

ensuring regular and punctual school attendance.

notifying the School if their children cannot attend for any reason.

working with the School and education welfare service to resolve any attendance problems;

making sure their children understand that parents support good school attendance;

discussing planned absences with the school.

refraining, if at all possible, from taking holidays during school time

showing an interest in their children’s school day and their children’s homework.

encouraging them to participate in school activities.

praising and encouraging their children’s achievements.

instilling in their children a positive self-concept and a positive sense of self-worth.

informing the school in writing of the reasons for absence from school.

ensuring, insofar as is possible, that children’s appointments (with dentists etc), are arranged for times outside of school hours.

contacting the school immediately, if they have concerns about absence or other related school matters.

notifying, in writing, the school if their child/children, particularly children in junior classes, are to be collected by someone not known to the teacher.